Gaming machines, such as slot machines, are frequently video gaming machines where animated virtual reels are displayed on a flat panel screen. The screen may also display animated bonus games and any information needed to play the games. The screen may be a touch screen where the player can make selections by touching icons (e.g., virtual buttons) displayed on the screen.
Conventional video gaming machines of the same theme (i.e., same proprietary game), made by the same manufacturer, display the same animation to all players. When there is no active player, the gaming machines of the same theme display the same attract mode. In other words, the display animation does not automatically adapt to the particular player or to a particular spectator, such as a passerby.
It is known to add a camera in a gaming machine for identifying a player for security reasons, where certain digitized optical features of a player are compared to a stored image of the player to ensure the player is using her own player tracking card. Cameras, microphones, and speakers have also been installed in gaming machines for enabling one player to communicate, verbally and visually, with another player in the casino. Such cameras and their software do not affect the game animation or attract mode animation.
What is needed is a way to draw more attention to a particular gaming machine, to promote additional play of that gaming machine, by automatically customizing the gaming machine's display animation for a particular player or spectator.
What is also needed is a way to make a particular gaming machine more fun to play by detecting movements of the player and adapting such movements in the displayed animation.